The Warriors fell to the 76ers 98-99, and quite frankly, this was a frustrating result for their fans. Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler were unavailable, and Draymond Green went down only nine minutes into the game. With their three best players out, the Warriors had to rely on their role players to compete to try to get a victory. On Thursday night, they couldn’t get it done.
VJ Edgecombe hit the game-winner since Tyrese Maxey ended the matchup with a game-saving block. This dynamic duo did the most they could against the shorthanded Warriors. Pat Spencer, scoring 16 points, led the Warriors in scoring, and he led the charge in an impressive 24-point comeback. We thought the Warriors could have stolen this game, but they couldn’t come through in the clutch. After this exciting matchup that ended unfortunately for them, let’s provide the Warriors’ ratings.
Pat Spencer: A-
Game Stats: 16 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 5-8 FG, 2-3 3PT, 4-4 FT, 24 MIN
Spencer gave the Warriors the spark they needed to climb back from so much down. He played with a discreet but intense manner about him while making big shots and consistently making good decisions. Thursday, Golden State needed someone to have the spotlight, and Spencer stepped up as if he was claiming a larger role for himself.
Moses Moody: B+
Game Stats: 14 PTS, 2 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 5-10 FG, 2-5 3PT, 2-2 FT, 23 MIN
The only Warrior who came out from the opening tip playing at 100% was Moses Moody. He was aggressive, driving the basket and knocking down timely threes. Even though this was a game where points were hard to come by, he was a player who played with confidence, and his effort helped get things going again for Golden State as they continued to push their way back into the game. A B+ is fair as a result.
Buddy Hield: B
Game Stats: 14 PTS, 8 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 6-12 FG, 2-7 3PT, 0-0 FT, 26 MIN
Buddy Hield got hot in stretches and finished with 14 points and 8 rebounds. The Warriors needed him to make more threes with their best players missing, and Hield couldn’t quite do that. He did shoot 50% from the field, and that earns him a B grade, but the Warriors needed him a little more.
De’Anthony Melton: B
Game Stats: 14 PTS, 1 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 5-11 FG, 0-2 3PT, 4-4 FT, 21 MIN
De’Anthony Melton made his return and did quite well. He scored 14 points and made all four of his free throws, but shot under 50% and was a bit slow on some defensive switches. Regardless, Melton started well despite being so rusty and did a decent job considering the circumstances, and gets a B grade.
Quinten Post: B-
Game Stats: 10 PTS, 3 REB, 4 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 4-8 FG, 2-4 3PT, 0-0 FT, 25 MIN
Post assembled an excellent showing in one of his better efforts of the year. He utilized the floor space, created passes quickly, and made decisions with the ball quickly. Post’s ability to sense where he needed to be on the perimeter gave the Warriors a much-needed boost with so many players out.
Jonathan Kuminga: C+
Game Stats: 9 PTS, 6 REB, 2 AST, 3 TO, 0 STL, 1 BLK, 4-12 FG, 1-2 3PT, 0-2 FT, 20 MIN
Jonathan Kuminga looked good at times, but the Warriors needed him a lot more. He only scored 9 points in 20 minutes, shot 4-12 from the field, and wasn’t as impactful defensively as he should have been. Adding in the three turnovers, and it wasn’t Kuminga’s best performance. However, he did not get the amount of playing time he probably should have, so we aren’t giving him lower than a C+.
Al Horford: C
Game Stats: 3 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 1-8 FG, 1-7 3PT, 0-0 FT, 18 MIN
Horford struggled mightily from the start and looked old. With Curry and Butler both out of the lineup, the Warriors needed Horford to provide steady shooting and stability as a veteran presence while also providing leadership. Unfortunately, it did not appear that Horford found his shooting rhythm, and therefore, he struggled to find his comfort level in running the offensive sets. While his passing and positioning were solid, his inability to shoot the ball gives him a below-average rating.
Brandin Podziemski: C
Game Stats: 6 PTS, 6 REB, 0 AST, 3 TO, 0 STL, 3 BLK, 2-8 FG, 0-5 3PT, 2-2 FT, 20 MIN
Podziemski rebounded, battled, and played with his usual defensive edge. However, all of his offensive contributions felt forced and were of little value. While Podziemski is a solid player, he could not find the net consistently, and many of his passes were made with an extra beat or two. Podziemski competed, but his offensive contributions weren’t there, especially considering his three turnovers.
Gui Santos: C
Game Stats: 4 PTS, 1 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 2-4 FG, 0-2 3PT, 0-0 FT, 12 MIN
Santos provided the Warriors with a nice boost in terms of his aggressive play and cutting ability. He received some minutes but couldn’t do much other than make two baskets.
Will Richard: C
Game Stats: 5 PTS, 0 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL, 0 BLK, 2-2 FG, 1-1 3PT, 0-0 FT, 20 MIN
Although Richard did not receive many touches, he made the most of the shots he got. Richard displayed confidence, knocking down a good three-point shot and playing good defense for a young player who stepped into a larger role than he was used to. However, he couldn’t do more than he should have, and a C is therefore fair.
Seth Curry: D+
Game Stats: 0 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 0-2 FG, 0-1 3PT, 0-0 FT, 14 MIN
Curry struggled to get open looks and, when he did, his shots did not fall. His defense did not suffer; however, because of his inability to shoot well, Curry did not have the same impact on the game. A D+ is fair considering the team needed him more than he could contribute tonight.
Draymond Green: N/A
Game Stats: 3 PTS, 3 REB, 0 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 1-3 FG, 1-3 3PT, 0-0 FT, 9 MIN
The Warriors needed Draymond Green tonight, but the veteran went down with a leg injury not long into the second quarter. He only scored 3 points and missed two threes, so he didn’t get off to the best start. Green tried to make an impact defensively, but he still played under 10 minutes, meaning he doesn’t get a rating. Not Green’s fault that he went down with a concerning injury.
Trayce Jackson-Davis: N/A
Game Stats: 0 PTS, 1 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0-1 FG, 0-0 3PT, 0-2 FT, 4 MIN
Jackson-Davis struggled to find a rhythm defensively, missed both free throws, and didn’t earn Kerr’s trust for a second look. It was simply an off night where nothing aligned.
Gary Payton II: N/A
Game Stats: 0 PTS, 0 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0-0 FG, 0-0 3PT, 0-0 FT, 3 MIN
Payton barely played, and his short stint didn’t produce much outside of a quick assist. This was more about rotation crunch than anything he did wrong.
